Thursday, November 3, 2011

Suit Up for Success

One of my favorite TV shows is "How I Met Your Mother." This sitcom seems to mirror where I am at in life and I find that I easily relate to it. I often realize that parts of the character's personalities are tied very closely to the behaviors I see some of my real world friends display. Of course, like most viewers, my favorite character is Barney Stinson. Portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris, Barney starts the series as a soulless ladies man, always on the hunt for his next female conquest. Later he cleans up his act and becomes a pretty astute gentlemen. However, the importance he places on being a "Bro" and his impeccable fashion sense are what really get me; the key, of course, are the suits!

As I've written before, fashion is one of those things that many guys shy away from. We have it in our head that "fashion" is for girls. Alternatively, we think that fashion is for Abercrombie and Fitch models or for the guys who feel the need to buy $50 tee shirts at Hollister because they perfume the air around their stores. This is utter nonsense. Real men's fashion has nothing to do with fake palm trees, over priced jeans, or brand names. No, every man should be aware of some basic fashion tips.

In this vein, I recently came across a great video from the website "Real Men - Real Style" that seemed perfectly appropriate for DeMolay. The image you project as a DeMolay is very important. It's okay to be in jeans and a tee shirt while you're making pancakes at a fundraiser, but if you're standing in front of the door to a local store asking for money, you better look professional. It seems that young men today (myself included) have a poor sense of what we should be wearing to look like proper gentlemen. This video does a great job of summarizing what we should do. Take a look:

So, there you have it! Now, some of the advice offered is pretty pricey. However, there are ways to do all of this on a budget. Never underestimate the power of Goodwill or the Salvation Army Thrift Stores. Check them out! You never know what you might find! "Suiting up" is the first step to looking like a respectable young man. Remember our Precept of Cleanness - in thought, word, and deed. Just because you bathed today doesn't mean your clean. Isn't that part of what DeMolay is all about?